The chief of Illinois' child welfare agency resigned on Wednesday, less than two weeks after reports surfaced about his criminal history.

Arthur Bishop, director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, was appointed to the post last month by Gov. Pat Quinn. But he became embroiled in controversy after The Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ radio revealed that he had faced a felony theft charge in 1995.

Bishop was accused of stealing more than $9,000 from clients at a Chicago social-services agency who thought Bishop was helping them get their driver's licenses back after drunken-driving convictions. He later said he was wrongly accused and made the "agonizing" decision to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge to end the strain on his family.

In his resignation letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Bishop said the controversy could serve as a distraction for Quinn, who is amid a re-election fight. The 61-year-old ordained minister also suggested that the Democratic governor's "political rivals" were attacking him "to obtain some modicum of political advantage."

"I am aware that we are in the midst of a contested election, and that my documented accomplishments, dedication, and almost 20 years of exemplary work are in this environment simply irrelevant," Bishop wrote.

Quinn's spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson, declined to say whether Quinn and Bishop had previously discussed him stepping down, saying only: "He made this decision and we received the letter." His resignation will take effect Friday.

Bishop was at DCFS until 2010, when he took over the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Quinn's office cited that experience last week when defending the governor's appointment of Bishop, who in the past had also been criticized for his lack of juvenile justice background.

"The governor feels he has the right experience to lead this very difficult agency," Anderson said last week.

Attorney and social worker Bobbie Gregg was appointed interim director of the state agency and will serve in the role while the governor's office begins a search for a permanent replacement, Anderson said.

DCFS acknowledged in December that it had undercounted the number of child-abuse and neglect deaths following reports by the Sun-Times and WBEZ. It has also been criticized for its money management.